Lions block Teryl Austin from interviewing with Packers

The Lions fired head coach Jim Caldwell, but defensive coordinator Teryl Austin remains under contract so the team can block him from interviewing for the same job with another team.

They didn’t stand in the way of such an interview with the Bengals, but the response was a little different for a request closer to home. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Friday that the Packers want to interview Austin to fill the defensive coordinator spot that opened when Dom Capers was fired and updated that report a short time later to reflect Detroit’s rejection of that request.

Austin interviewed with the Lions for their head coaching job, but the fact that he’s interviewing for at least one other coordinator position suggests he’s not a frontrunner for the position. There’s a good chance he’ll be let out of his contract once the team does hire a head coach, but the Packers opportunity might not still be there.

Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been mentioned as a possible candidate in Green Bay, but he’s in the same boat as Austin when it comes to being under contract while the team sorts out their next head coach.

Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been mentioned as a possible candidate in Green Bay, but he’s in the same boat as Austin when it comes to being under contract while the team sorts out their next head coach.

The Lions have the right to block Austin from interviewing but it kind of isn’t cool because they know there’s little chance the new coach would keep him. Still, why make it any easier for a division rival? Fangio is a little different situation because there’s a good chance the new coach would want to keep him.

Well, Austin’s defenses have gotten progressively worse under Caldwell. 9 players on the field, 10 players on the field. The problem is he knows too much about the the Lions offense and personnel to let him interview within the division. So, it is better to block this.

nathanp2013 Vikings had to let Shurmur interview for the Lions’ job because it was a potential promotion. Austin to the Pack as their D coordinator is only lateral, so it would be crazy for them not to block the process since he’s still under contract. It does stink for him a little, however he’s made quite a name for himself over recent years and will definitely find a home if the Lions’ new HC decides to part ways.

Class act Vikings let Shurmur interview with the classless Lions teams within their own division.
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Thank God the Vikings didn’t block Shurmur from interviewing for the HC position… because they can’t. HC interviews cannot be blocked. The Packers could always fire the terrible McCarthy and interview Austin for that position without an issue.

The best part of your post? The Packers block teams from interviewing coaches for coordinator positions with regularity, McAdoo being one example years ago. “Classless”? Sounds good.

This is simply the chickens coming home to roost. Thompson and McCarthy are notorious for refusing permission to speak to assistants and front office personnel. If the rules allowed it, the Packers denied the requests. Now the shoe is on the other foot and it looks good.

These sort of permissions are requested and denied every, single off-season and therefore common among all teams. And yes, GB has denied some interviews of their team leadership by other teams in and out of the division. I find no fault of the Vikings and Lions for denying the same. This is a competitive league and unless it is an opportunity for an advancement to a better position, you use whatever means available to prevent your competition from gaining the upper hand. GB is casting a wide net in their searches for just the right GM and DC and as a Packers fan, I can appreciate that. Process continues so let’s get ‘er done.

pwshrugged says:
January 5, 2018 at 7:13 pm
Seems rude given that the Packers and Vikings both allowed the Lions to interview members of their staffs, and given that it’s highly unlikely Austin remains on the Lions’ new coaching staff.
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The Vikings and Packers didn’t “allow” anything: head coaching interviews can’t be blocked. This was not a head coaching interview, and the Packers routinely deny the same.